Ford MONDEO ST TDCI
June Neary Gets Economy And Excitement In One Big Blue Package From
FordI must admit to being initially rather unconvinced by the Ford Mondeo ST TDCi. Id seen the press shots of the lurid Performance Blue models and, to be honest, it looked like a bit of a sheep in wolfs clothing. After all, with only 155bhp on tap, it was hardly going to be a tarmac scorcher was it? Those 18-inch alloy wheels and flared wheel arches were only going to cause embarrassment the moment I lined up next to an overheated
Citroen Saxo at the lights. Therefore, it was with some delight that I received a sleek Panther Black test car.
In a more restrained hue, the ST TDCi looks a good deal more refined, classy even. The sills and spoilers arent too outrageous and the silver-finished front fog lights give the car a very classy look. Yes, I think this diesel Mondeo would suit me very nicely. Just leave me in charge of the colour chart in advance.
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Forget the sporting pretence for a moment. This is a five-door Mondeo hatch, no more no less. That means you get a cavernous 500-litre luggage bay with a split folding rear
seat and remote release on the key fob. Theres plenty of room for five generously sized adults indoors and there are the same thoughtful touches that make the Mondeo such an easy car to live with day in, day out.
The Quickclear windscreen will mean that youll no longer need to hack and scrape at ice in the mornings and the heated front seats will also safeguard against a frigid posterior. Safety provision is very well covered with driver and passenger dual stage airbags. As well as these front bags there are side airbags for front seat occupants as well as side curtain airbags that stay inflated for longer in the case of a rollover type accident. Electronic anti lock brakes with brakeforce distribution and brake assist are coupled with a reassuringly meaty feel from the brake pedal.
Should you overcook your corner entry speed, theres an Electronic Stability Control program that aims to prevent the car skidding off the road. Rain sensing wipers and automatically lighting headlamps allow you to concentrate on the task of driving.
Forget about that 155bhp power output and concentrate instead on the torque figure of 265lb/ft. That may not mean much, but the net effect is that this Mondeo feels as muscular as a
BMW 735i. Punch the throttle hard to overtake and an overboost facility on the engine even lets you have up to 295lb/ft for a short while. Youll be able to scuttle to 60mph in 7.
7 seconds and on to a top speed of 148mph exceptional for a diesel car. The best thing is that it feels so much quicker than the figures suggest. No, scrub that. The best thing about the Mondeo ST TDCi is that it returns an average of nearly 36mpg, so you wont feel too guilty every time you plant the accelerator pedal.
If you havent driven a late shape Mondeo, its possible that youre not aware quite how good this car is. With so many modern cars feeling totally devoid of life and feel, the Mondeo feels like a proper car, with reassuring feedback from the steering, a direct throw to the gearchange and a refreshing lack of annoying features. Just about the only black mark Id give the cabin is if you have long legs, its possible your left knee can knock the steering column mounted stereo volume switch. It took me a couple of miles before I realised why Terry Wogan was getting progressively fainter!
There are two distinct Mondeo ST TDCi variants to choose from. Youll pay £21,830 for the five-door hatchback or four-door saloon and £22,830 for the estate. This stacks up very well against rivals, although quite how favourably you judge the Mondeos value proposition will depend on what youre looking for. Those desiring a swanky badge will no doubt prefer the option of the marginally cheaper
Jaguar X-TYPE 2.
0D but fine car as it is, it cant hold a candle to the
Ford in terms of driver satisfaction, nor indeed in terms of equipment levels. As one of the range-topping models, the Mondeo ST TDCi comes stuffed with kit, including but not limited to 18-inch Ronal alloys, part leather seat trim, leather trimmed steering wheel and gearshift, a Sony stereo system, lowered suspension, cruise control and Electronic Automatic Temperature Control. Just about the only extra you could really conceive specifying is a satellite navigation system. Ford can oblige if youre willing to stump up the readies.
If you enjoy a sporting drive but cant stomach big fuel bills, the Mondeo ST TDCi has a claim on being the best real world performance car you can currently buy. Its
smart looking, well equipped, infectiously good fun to drive and is respectable value. Much will depend on how the cars residual values stack up, but with a majority going to lucky company car drivers, the ST TDCi looks set to be a performance bargain for private buyers looking for a used car a couple of years down the road. Either way, its the sort of car that I like not too showy, quick, safe, comfortable and with an environmental conscience.
Full marks to Ford.
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